Judge, 1930-10-11 · page 10 of 36
Judge — October 11, 1930 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Third Degree" - Judge Magazine Cartoon Analysis This page satirizes corruption in law enforcement and the judicial system. The main cartoon depicts a police interrogation where a sergeant extracts a confession about a murder, then—remarkably—instructs the suspect to dispose of the body properly or face minor penalties for littering ("ten dollars and two days"). The satire targets the apparent indifference of judges and police to serious crimes, suggesting they're more concerned with technicalities (illegal dumping on city property) than actual murder. The accompanying vignette, "The Embryonic Columnist," shows a figure labeled as such, likely mocking sensationalist crime reporting. The bottom section's quips about prohibition agents and judges reinforce the theme: law enforcement is depicted as morally compromised and absurd. The cartoons suggest widespread cynicism about whether the justice system actually prosecutes serious crimes fairly, or merely performs theater while the connected escape real consequences.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE The Third Degree “Guts, we've got the goods on you! } Now, do you want to come clean and tell everything, or...” “Y-y-y-y-y-es, sergeant! I d-d-d-d-d- did it! “Do you think the judge | ere “1 dunno, everythi th. If you spill You pores! , though, I'll do what I can ‘i Joe no Ma, Well, sergeant, I guess I didn't realize what I was doing. I really loved her. Only, for the last few years, she... oh, she seemed to ». And the way she acted... 1 , I didn’t feel the s I used to.” . The same old story. You thought you was just a little too good for her, huh? Awright! What hap- 2 & “Well... we hadn't been getting ae , along, se I got to imagining that al she. ... You know what I mean. We x didn’t get along. ... The other night I wanted 0 fora ride. She wouldn't go. I begged and pleaded and coaxed. Oh, I was patient enough. I didn’t “This heavy wrench, Smith? The day for fear someone would see her want any trouble.” one marked Exhil . you know, the body! That “Did she kick y " “Yes! Yes! f a It was evening I sne nd moved “No. She was just stubborn, Fi- terrible, but I did it! I went after her her over to the ke nally I got mad. I yelled: ‘We're with that. Then I had to get rid of | [ was sure she The Embryonic Columnist. down dge of the where ethiatiS4 « sitios through for good this time. Be the body. I didn’t want it lying wouldn't be found.” me, I've put up with all I'm g around the house. After dark I “The perfect crime, huh?” Then things seemed to go red, and I dragged it down into the bushes by “It might have been, sergean' went after her with the first thing I the railroad tracks, That night I 2 4 th, you're a rank could lay my hands on!” couldn't sleep. And I worried all next You know the ter you left the body by the lake we'd found it, iden- tified it and knew the whole story! Now, I'll tell you what: I've given you an even break, another’ chance. I it down to the lake, get the body and dispose of it properly. But I'm warning you, Smith: if we ever catch you in on city property dumy an old flivver body or even so much as a twisted fender, you'll get ten dollars and two days if I have anything to say to the judge! Now get moving!” —Cuer Jounson Appropriate ‘sa nice wreath, And ly sentiment one but orgotten.” Whose grave are you ng to put it on? Witt—Nobody's. We're going tw put it on the judge’s bench, When a man’s a prohibition agent his work is usually up to his neck in him. And of course many a judge on his “Will it come to this?” day off spends the in court. comicbooks.com